PLAY ON

by Marilynn Halas

  Ryan was through being impressed. “I will give this crystal to every media outlet in the world and tell the Pentagon all about what you are doing if you don’t help me. I mean it, Michael; you won’t just be collecting other people’s secrets anymore. I’ll tell the world yours! I’ll make sure you can’t siphon off other people’s research, because once they know what you’re doing in the future, they will have plenty of time to block you from here, in the present. When you visit the future, they will have already had years to freeze you out.”

  “I suggest you reconsider and remember just who you are trying to threaten.” Michael’s low growl was more terrifying than a lion’s roar. “I can access the future and if you don’t watch your step, I’ll destroy yours! Word gets out that you believe any of this and I’ll make sure you get committed and permanently medicated.”

  Ryan’s mind was racing. How could he make Michael help him? Then it came to him, an old trick he learned in law school: find your opponent’s weakness. Michael’s weakness was easy to find, and Ryan began to feel less and less afraid.

  “Tell you what, Michael,” Ryan began. “You help my son and I won’t tell your son who you really are. I won’t tell him that you had him practically engineered from a donor and a surrogate, a donor and a surrogate who are no longer alive. I won’t tell him that you keep his mother on a payroll to take care of him, that that woman he calls mommy is paid to play a role so that people won’t find out what kind of monster you really are. Most of all I won’t tell him that you keep his genetic material on file in your compound while your company tries to perfect the human clone. You shouldn’t forget that as your lawyer I have access to all of your information.”

  The blood drained from Michael’s face, and he looked as pale as one of his crystals. “You can’t do that. You can’t prove any of it,” Michael breathed.

  “I don’t have to, Michael. Like you said, security through transparency. I would lose my license happily to spill your secrets. Perception is reality. You might win in a courtroom, but you will have lost your son’s love and respect, and we both know you can’t handle that.”

  Michael’s eyes shone with rage. “You will never threaten me or my son again.”

  Ryan was almost starting to enjoy this. He winked at Michael as he put the crystal paperweight and the glowing crystals in his briefcase. “I’ll just keep these with me. It would be a real shame for the Securities Exchange Commission to find out that you have been insider-trading and siphoning confidential information off everyone else’s computers.” Ryan leaned in and was inches from Michael’s face. “I will ruin you, personally, professionally and financially. You will help me, or you will lose your own future.”

  Michael pretended to laugh. “I guess that’s what makes you such a good lawyer. You are willing to do whatever it takes to win. I’ll help you, but first give me back my crystals.”

  Ryan dropped the last crystal into his briefcase and locked it. “No chance. Now we are both willing to do whatever it takes to find the cure.”

  Danny took a deep breath. “Dillon, I need to tell you something.”

  Dillon didn’t know what Danny was going to say, but he could tell from the look on Danny’s face that it was going to be big.

  “What is it, Danny? More bad news?”

  Danny smiled and tried to lighten the mood. “Well, I guess you could see it that way, but I’m hoping you won’t. Remember when you were at the emergency room and you made that crack about us being like brothers?”

  Dillon nodded and felt his heart beat a little faster. “What are you getting at, Danny?”

  Danny took another deep breath and blurted, “I think we are brothers. More than that, I think we are twins and I can prove it.” Danny told Dillon about the old picture from the box on his father’s farm.

  At first it was hard to believe, but when Dillon heard the whole thing,,he gasped. Danny said it was a picture of a huddled group of people who looked scared and tired, but right in the center there was a proud old woman. In her arms she carried two babies. There was a heart-shaped birthmark on one of the baby’s legs.

  “No way! No damn way!” Dillon shouted.

  Danny wasn’t quite sure what to say. Danny knew how he figured out who the babies were; he had suffered with having that lousy birthmark all his life. But how could Dillon put it together so fast? Danny straightened up and tried to show Dillon his birthmark.

  Dillon pushed back from the desk like it had a bad smell. When he looked at Danny, Dillon was the one who was as white as a ghost. Danny pulled up his pant leg and hoped Dillon could see the birthmark but there was no need. Without saying a word, Dillon did the same thing. There on Dillon’s leg was the identical mark. As Dillon and Danny exchanged stunned glances, they said in unison, “Twins.”

  November 26, 2011

  The farm was a busy place as Sara and Clint got ready for another Christmas. The decorations were coming right along, and the carriage looked almost ready to ride, but something kept nagging at Danny’s dad.

  Clint walked out to the barn and it wasn’t long before he drifted upstairs to look at the picture again. It had been an awful accident, but it was also the beginning of their life as a family. Sometimes Clint wished he could go back. He would handle things differently this time, starting with telling Danny the truth. Clint had no regrets about having brought Danny home, but he could not forgive himself for keeping the truth hidden. They always had planned to tell Danny, but it never seemed to be the right time. At first, they thought he was too young to understand, and then they thought it would upset him to find out just before he deployed. The night he left, Sara and Clint made a pact to tell him when he came home; they just never imagined that by then it would be too late.

  This unfinished business made Clint more and more uncomfortable. Danny had had a right to know where he came from, but Clint didn’t know what to do about it. He fingered the photograph again and kissed the picture. He remembered what the grief counselor told him when Danny died; that anytime he needed to say something to Danny, he could still write a letter. “Aw Danny, I wish we could just go fishing and have a good, long talk,” he said to the air. Danny watched as his dad paced.

  “Come on, Dad, we still can talk about it. Tell me now!” Danny screamed in frustration. Clint sat down at the desk and took out a pen and some paper.

  “I sure enough feel stupid having to do it this way, but I guess better late than never,” Clint continued to mutter. “Damn grief counselor. Sure, just write him a letter and say whatever you need to say. Put it on his grave and let it go. Blah, blah, blah. Whatever.” He made fun of the advice, but he still took it. Clint wrote for over an hour and cried at one point when he was near the end. Danny tried to read it, but whenever he got too close, Clint stopped writing.

  Finally, Clint took the letter and went outside. He walked for two miles over to the Franklin Cross Cemetery and kneeled down at Danny’s grave. It was the first time Danny read his own epitaph:

  Daniel Charles

  Beloved son and patriot

  An unexpected gift and an intolerable absence

  "And the truth shall set you free."

  John 8:32

  Clint touched the headstone lovingly and wiped away the tear in his eye. Danny watched him put the letter next to the stone and leave. Now that he had it within his reach, Danny could hardly move. The answer was written down for him to see, but he could barely bring himself to read it. All the anticipation and excitement drained out of him, and Danny felt as tired as he had on the floor of that awful warehouse where he died half a world away.

  There is something unnatural and uncomfortable about being at your own grave. Danny preferred to avoid it because he didn’t feel dead and he hated to be reminded. Now, reading his epitaph, Danny wondered if his dad knew he couldn’t move on without knowing the truth about how he came to be Clint’s son. Maybe the truth really could set Danny free. When he finally did open the letter, he had to sit down, right there, next
to his own grave.

  Dearest Danny,

  I feel like a fool writing to you like this and I don’t want to bother you up in heaven, but I need to get this off my chest and I guess there just isn’t any other way at this point. I want to let you know that your mom and I always wanted to tell you, but it’s complicated. By the time we felt like you were old enough to understand, it seemed like it was just too crazy for you to believe. To tell you the truth, if I were you, I wouldn’t believe it either. Before I go on, I just want to say one more thing: your mom and I love you. I hope you can forgive us for not telling you this before.

  I did a terrible thing and then I got rewarded for it. You see, back in '85 we were a hair’s breadth from losing this farm. I just couldn’t let that happen, but there was no work to be found around here. I knew a guy in New York who was always looking for drivers, so I went up there to see him. He gave me a truck and an address and told me to pick up the cargo at night. I guess I knew it was not a good situation, but I was desperate and I agreed.

  I took the truck and I went to the address, someplace just outside of San Antonio in Texas. I waited 'til dark and I rang the bell. I thought I was picking up cheap TVs or something, but what I discovered was much worse. The man who opened the door was missing a tooth and reeked of alcohol. He said something in Spanish and at least ten people scurried out of the house and into the back of my truck. I was shocked. I was stupid and I just stood there trying to figure out what to do. I tried to talk to the man, but it was no use. At one point, I tried to force the people out of the back of the truck, but they were afraid to go. When I turned around again, the man was gone and the house was locked up. I didn’t know what to do, so I drove.

  The next morning, I got twenty bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches and had my first Spanish lesson. We were all starving, so I handed out the food and then I saw the old lady with the babies. She smiled and I couldn’t resist. That was the first time I held you, Danny. I never dreamed you would be mine, but I loved you and your brother.

  We took the picture and became friends in spite of ourselves. It was a long drive from Texas to New York and I’ll never forget it. We almost made it too. We traveled at night to avoid suspicion. During the day, we tried to lay low and parked behind barns or in mall parking lots. Then one night our luck just ran out.

  We were outside Southern University, a kid in a beat up wreck came out of nowhere and plowed into the back of the truck. I tried to control the impact, but it was no use. We flipped over into a field and the vehicle that hit us got impaled on the back. I ran around to check on everyone and it was bedlam. Everyone ran away because they were afraid of what would happen if the police discovered them. Only the old lady and the babies were there. At least I thought they were both there. I was so relieved to hear the crying that I guess I got confused.

  The lady smiled and handed you to me and I took you in my arms. When I looked back again, she was gone. I didn’t look for her for very long. I knew I had to get out of there. Once I checked on the kid driving the other car, I left. I searched for your family for a couple of months, but it was no use. Eventually, I left the whole mess behind us and took you home. My friend down at town hall helped with the paperwork and it was official. You were ours to foster and we adopted you a year later. I never knew what happened to your brother or the lady, but I never stopped thanking her for giving you to me.

  I may not have been your father, but it was the best part of my life to be your daddy. I hope you can forgive me for not telling you sooner.

  Love,

  Dad

  Danny had already put together most of the story, but seeing it written out in his dad’s handwriting somehow made it all the more real. In his dad’s shoes, he didn’t know what he would have done. Danny wondered how the other baby got away, and where the woman had gone. It seemed like the answers only led to more questions. He looked again at his epitaph. The truth did set him free of one thing: he wasn’t angry anymore. And now that he understood his own journey, he wondered even more about Dillon’s.

  He wished he could talk to his dad, give him a hug, and let him know he was okay. Danny didn’t understand a lot of what he was learning, but he knew he was still a part of the Charles family, and he always would be. He may have had another family somewhere, but he saw them as a bonus not a replacement. He just wished there was some way to let his dad know.

  November 28, 2011

  When Dillon woke up, he just knew it was going to be one of those days. He had already chickened out twice over Thanksgiving and he knew if he didn’t ask Marie to Starlight today, it would be too late. He probably should have been thinking about a million other things, but really, what was the point? Dillon felt like he knew a fair amount about life and death, and the one thing he knew for sure was that life is short, really short. No way he was going to waste his because he was too gutless to ask his girlfriend to the dance.

  “Good Lord! Are you wearing that? I knew you had trouble with your eyes, but I didn’t know it was this bad.” Danny was back, and Dillon was glad.

  “Shut up. There’s more to life than jeans and boots.” Dillon adjusted his blazer and slipped on his loafers.

  “Well, in that case, you look mighty purdy,” Danny joked.

  “What part of shut up do you not understand?” Dillon smiled as he headed out the door. “I’ll see you later. I got an important job to do and I don’t need any help from the peanut gallery. I’ll meet you here after school.”

  “Well, then I guess I’m dismissed,” Danny teased as he picked up the guitar. What was it about that guitar that drew him in so irresistibly? Danny played and played, and the more he did, the more he lost himself in his own memories. He knew no one else could hear him, but still, that guitar was his connection to life—past, present, and maybe even future. Danny couldn’t wait until Dillon got home. As far as he was concerned, he and his brother had a lot of time to make up for.

  Marie greeted Dillon with a big hug and slipped her hand into his. What was his problem? It should be so easy to ask her; he knew she wanted to go with him, but he still felt a little nauseated.

  “I’ve got to do this, and it has to be now,” Dillon muttered to himself. Marie looked confused, but she let him lead her through the doors of the school lobby. He pulled her around a quiet corner and all his plans of romance and charm melted in his sweaty palms. “I would really love to take you to the Starlight Ball. Will you go with me?”

  Marie smiled up at him, but she didn’t answer. She gave him another hug and whispered in his ear, “I’ll think about it.” With that she was gone, and she disappeared down the hall at the sound of the first bell. After keeping her waiting so long, Marie was enjoying making Dillon wait for her answer, even though they both knew she would say yes.

  “Did she just say she’d think about it?” he muttered to himself as he got swept down the hall in the throng of hustling students.

  Maggie, Thomas, and Ryan were hurrying downtown. When they finally made their way through the tourists, they were at least fifteen minutes later than they wanted to be. They didn’t have an appointment exactly—they had an emergency. There was no doubt the sooner they got to Michael, the better. There was no telling when he might change his mind. The elevator seemed to take forever, and then they arrived. Michael’s office was deserted as they stepped inside, but there was the sound of a commotion coming from behind the back wall. They heard loud voices and unfamiliar words.

  “Ay, Dios mío. No,” an old woman's voice said.

  “Tienes que ayudarme. Absolutamente.” Michael’s voice was trembling.

  In all the years that Ryan had been Michael’s lawyer, he had not known this room behind Michael’s office even existed.

  If the office was impressive, the back room was opulent. Gold was everywhere, from the desktop to the frames along the walls and the ceiling lights. The sparkle from the gold danced along the edges of the space to bathe the whole room in a warm glow. The person behind the gold desk wa
s small, but fierce. She wore a lace shawl around her linen dress and her skin was the color of a warm sunset. Ryan guessed who she was in an instant, but he could not imagine why she was there.

  He wished he had paid better attention in his high school Spanish class. Michael stood and waved them in. It was the first time Ryan ever saw Michael look uncomfortable. “Let me introduce Señora Rosa De La Joya."

  Ryan nearly fell over. This was not the meeting he had expected to attend.

  Maggie reached her hand across the desk and smiled. “Yo soy Maggie; me recuerda?”

  The old woman smiled and nodded. “I know who you are. I know all of you and I know why you have come. I guess I always knew you would.”

  Thomas started. “You speak English?”

  “I speak many languages. I am from many places.”

  Maggie stepped forward again. “If you know why we have come, please tell us you can help us.”

  “Do you know the legend of the condor and the eagle?” Rosa looked Maggie in the eye, seemingly willing her to think about the last time they met. “The condor soars for the spirit world and the eagle flies for strength in this one. One without the other is unbalanced.” Rosa’s voice took on a pitch higher with excitement. “We believe that the Americas are a blessed land because it is the only place where the people of the condor and the people of the eagle can unite to bring balance to this world. Humanity needs both, but few can hold the mighty power of the condor and the eagle in one person. Still, some children are born to unite these worlds, and they must live their destinies without interference. Dillon is such a child, and so was Danny.”

  “You are the one who brought him into our lives, who separated him from his brother. Please, he needs your help again. He can’t meet his destiny like this!” Maggie was on her feet begging this woman for help even she couldn’t fully understand. “That night, in the back of the truck, you were the one who gave me this boy. You protected him and told me to raise him to be kind and strong. He is . . . he is gentle with the spirit of a fighter, but this fight is too much for one kid. You are the one who made these boys time travelers. Why bring them back together now if you won’t help them travel to a place where Dillon can be healed?” Her eyes were tired and tearing up. “Dillon can’t fulfill a destiny to bring balance to the world if we lose him. With or without you we will find a way to save his sight and his life.”